An error-strewn return to competitive action marred Elena Rybakina's WTA Finals tournament opener, but she seeks a response against debutant Qinwen Zheng.
The Kazakhstani player has never lost to the current Olympic champion, but the context of Monday's round-robin meeting makes the 22-year-old Chinese favourite to snap that losing run.
Match preview
Rybakina was back on the court in Saturday's Finals opener against Jasmine Paolini but could not avoid losing to the two-time 2024 Grand Slam runner-up.
Despite competing admirably in her first match-up since August, the Italian notched a 7-6(5), 6-4 triumph against the 2022 Wimbledon champion, leaving the one-time Slam winner and Zheng needing victories on Monday.
The world No. 5 made a staggeringly excessive 56 unforced errors to 27 winners, outdoing Paolini (12) in the latter, but she was let down by mistakes on return and inconsistency on her first deliveries.
Rybakina landed 50% of her first serves in the tournament-opening defeat, and a repeat will be punished by the in-form Zheng in their third encounter on the tour.
The recent champion in Tokyo suffered a fifth consecutive loss to Aryna Sabalenka — an anticipated outcome before both women took to the court in Riyadh — but seeks a response against another player she has never defeated.
Despite the losing statistic, Zheng undoubtedly enters her second round-robin match against Rybakina more optimistic about snapping her losing run against another bogey opponent — an upshot of the former Wimbledon champion's extended absence.
By contrast, the Olympic champion is 23-4 in her last 27 matches on the WTA Tour and entered her first Finals on the back of reaching the quarters at the US Open, the semis in Beijing, the final in Wuhan and winning in Tokyo to complete an impressive Asian swing.
Thus, Zheng hopes to record a first win at the year-end event to boost qualification hopes and end her Rybakina hoodoo in Saudi Arabia.
Tournament so far
Elena Rybakina:
Round Robin: vs. Jasmine Paolini 6-7(5) 4-6
Qinwen Zheng:
Round Robin: vs. Aryna Sabalenka 3-6 4-6
Head To Head
Beijing (2023) - Round of 64: Rybakina 6-1 6-2
Wimbledon (2022) - Third round: Rybakina 7-6(4) 7-5
Rybakina leads Zheng 2-0 in their head-to-head and aims for a third success over the improving Chinese player.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion defeated Zheng en route to claiming the Championships two years ago before repeating that success by dismantling the world No. 7 in Beijing a year later, surrendering three games in the two-set victory.
Having never won a set against Rybakina, the Olympic champion's ascent this year suggests a change should be in the offing this time.
We say: Zheng to win in two sets
While Zheng must return adeptly and aggressively against the big-serving Rybakina, the seventh seed's superior form and the Kazakhstani's rustiness should see the Chinese player end her 0-2 record against the one-time Slam champion.
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